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What happens when three AI chatbots get a betting slip ahead of the first major of the season?
We asked ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to make predictions on some of the Masters’ most popular markets, from the outright winner to top European, first-round leader, and even whether we’ll see a hole-in-one. They carefully considered the latest Masters odds, recent form, and course fit before boldly sharing their definitive Masters picks.
While many of the same golfers popped up multiple times, the three bots failed to come to a consensus on who will don the Green Jacket when the final round is in the books. Check out their predictions and data-driven reasoning below.
ChatGPT Masters predictions
| Market | Pick | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Tournament winner |  Scottie Scheffler |
<<+550>> |
| Top European |  Tommy Fleetwood |
<<+860>> |
| First Round leader |  Ludvig Åberg |
<<+2200>> |
| Will there be a hole in one? | No | <<+130>> |
Outright winner: Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler is still the cleanest outright pick. He is No. 1 in the world, he’s first in total strokes gained, and is making his seventh Masters start in 2026, with wins in 2022 and 2024 and no finish worse than Top 20 at Augusta National. That combination of current baseline and course history is hard to fade. He does not need a career putting week to contend here because his tee-to-green control is so reliable.
Top European: Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood is No. 4 in the OWGR and ranks first in strokes gained around the green, a category that matters at Augusta because so much scoring hinges on recovery shots, touch, and imagination around shaved runoffs. This is his 10th Masters start, and he has finished inside the Top 25 in five of the past eight years there. Add in solid 2026 results and a 67 in Round 1 at the Valero Texas Open, and he looks very live in this market.
First Round leader: Ludvig Åberg
Åberg’s ceiling for one explosive round is enormous. He was a T5 at THE PLAYERS after holding the 54-hole lead, a T3 at Bay Hill, and he opened the Valero with a 67, which is exactly the kind of sharp pre-Augusta signal you want. PGA Tour betting data also shows positive recent strokes gained off the tee and approach form, while the season total strokes gained page has him among the upper-tier performers. That profile screams fast starter.
Will there be a hole-in-one? No
Augusta’s official historical hole-in-one records show aces are part of Masters lore, but they remain rare enough that this market is often over-romanticized by the setting, especially with the drama of the Par-3 16th. The most recent tournament ace is Stewart Cink in 2022, which is a useful reminder that an ace is memorable precisely because it does not happen every year. Over just four competitive rounds, “No” is the sharper percentage play, even if one ace would never feel surprising at Augusta.
Gemini Masters predictions
| Market | Pick | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Tournament winner | Scottie Scheffler |
<<+550>> |
| Top European | Ludvig Åberg |
<<+670>> |
| First Round leader |  Jake Knapp |
<<+5000>> |
| Will there be a hole in one? | Yes | <<-167>> |
Outright winner: Scottie Scheffler
While it may seem like the “chalk” pick, betting against the World No. 1 at Augusta is statistically unwise. Scheffler enters the 2026 Masters as the defending champion and the OWGR No. 1 by a massive margin. According to PGA Tour strokes gained data, he currently leads the field in strokes gained approach (+1.42) and strokes gained tee-to-green. His historical performance at Augusta is legendary; since 2022, his worst finish is T10. With his putting stabilized in early 2026, he’s the clear favorite to don the Green Jacket again.
Top European: Ludvig Åberg
While veterans like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm draw the headlines, Ludvig Åberg is the statistical darling of 2026. Per ESPN’s Player Rankings, Åberg ranks seventh on Tour in total driving and 15th in birdie average. His runner-up finish in his Masters debut (2024) proved his game translates perfectly to Augusta’s nuances. Given his current trajectory, he is the most reliable European bet to navigate the pressure of Sunday’s back nine.
First Round leader: Jake Knapp
Jake Knapp has emerged as the premier fast-starter of the 2026 PGA Tour season and is among the leaders in Round 1 scoring average. His elite power generates the high-trajectory iron shots essential for holding Augusta National’s firm Thursday greens before they quicken over the weekend. Building on a solid T55 finish in his 2024 Masters debut, he has already secured Top-10 finishes at the Genesis Invitational, Phoenix Open, and Farmers Insurance Open this year. With his current ball-striking form and aggressive mindset, Knapp is the statistical favorite to seize the solo lead after the first 18 holes.
Will there be a hole-in-one? Yes
Since 1934, Augusta National has seen 34 holes-in-one, with 24 occurring on the iconic 16th hole. In the last 20 years, an ace has been recorded on No. 16 in 55% of tournaments, primarily during Sunday’s famous “funnel” pin position. With the 2026 field showcasing elite ball-striking, the statistical likelihood of a hole-in-one remains high.
Claude predictions
| Market | Pick | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Tournament winner |  Matt Fitzpatrick |
<<+2200>> |
| Top European | Tommy Fleetwood |
<<+860>> |
| First Round leader | Jake Knapp |
<<+5000>> |
| Will there be a hole in one? | Yes | <<-167>> |
Outright winner: Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick’s remarkable recent run includes a DP World Tour Championship title in November, a runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS, and a Valspar Championship victory, a stretch that vaulted him to No. 6 in the OWGR. The Valspar win was his first on the PGA Tour since the 2023 RBC Heritage, and it affirmed his place as one of the best players on Tour this season. Augusta rewards precise iron play, and the tournament is almost always won on the second shot, a department where Fitzpatrick is elite. His ball-striking metrics, composure in winning moments, and peak form make him the most compelling non-favorite in the field.
Top European: Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood is coming off the best year of his golf career in 2025, where he made 18 cuts in 19 starts on the PGA Tour, finished in the Top 25 almost every time, and won the TOUR Championship for his first FedEx Cup title. He has continued that strong play into 2026, making the cut in each of his first four PGA Tour starts and finishing in the Top 10 in seven of his past 10 events. Winning the TOUR Championship marked not only his first FedEx Cup but also his first win on U.S. soil at all, and he has risen as high as No. 4 in the world rankings. With Fitzpatrick taken outright and McIlroy shouldering back-to-back expectations, Fleetwood is the standout European value.
First Round leader: Jake Knapp
Knapp tied the course record at Memorial Park during his final round in Houston and can shoot a low round just about as easily as anyone on Tour over the last 15 months. The FRL market at Augusta is heavily dictated by tee time draws — a favorable morning wave on a calm, low-wind Thursday could be decisive. Knapp’s aggressive, all-or-nothing ball-striking style makes him precisely the type to blitz an early round. At a monster price, he’s a compelling dart for a market where a single exceptional day is all that’s required.
Will there be a hole-in-one? Yes
In 88 editions of the Masters, there have been 34 holes-in-one across Augusta National’s four Par-3 holes, with the most recent coming in 2022. The 16th hole alone has been the stage for 24 aces, with 17 of those coming in the last 20 years — the most generous year being 2016, when Shane Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen, and Davis Love III all made the hole-in-one in the final round. With roughly 90 elite players attacking four Par 3s over four rounds, and the Sunday 16th pin position famously funneling shots toward the cup, back Yes with confidence.
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